I have noticed that Richard Justice has been on a roll over the last week or so. He is actually making sense with some of his comments, AND not really flip-flopping much (a amazing feat for him).
Some quotes from his blog are below, most are responses to emails.
Some quotes from his blog are below, most are responses to emails.
Quote:
I made the mistake of opening the e-mail bag and it was All-Drayton-All-the-Time.
He once told me that the more he gets his name published, the better. ''As long as you're not questioning my character,'' he said.
Some of you dislike Drayton so much it's almost irrational. I don't understand this obsession. He runs a first-class franchise. His teams win. What else is important?
Do you really want him to bring in a bunch of free agents? I can't stand teams built largely through free agency. Part of what makes following a team interesting is watching the kids come up through the system.
Last season was so much fun, in part, because we all watched guys like Willy Taveras and Jason Lane and Chad Qualls grow up a day at a time.
Yet everyday I get e-mails calling him cheap and worse. I end up answering the same questions over and over.
I've criticized him more harshly than any of you, but at the end of the day, the Astros do win.
OK, I'm opening the e-mail bag. Start firing.
If Mr. McLane chooses not to spend a $100 million dollars on payroll, he should at least market the product better to make up the difference so we can have a $100-million dollar team on the field. There are millions of Astros fans; do the math. If you need a television network to bump up the payroll, then do it! Retro jerseys, business advertising, whatever you need to do. It's very frustrating. We don't expect to be like the Yankees as far as finances go, but these guys ARE OUR Yankees and we know they need help out there. I'm tired of hearing about how small our market is when it's pretty obvious that we're the fourth largest market in the United States. Right? We might be third by now we'll pass up Chicago sooner than later.
OK, let's have a quick lesson in Baseball Economics 101. The Astros signed a relatively weak local television deal in 1995 or 1995.
At the time, baseball had all but been destroyed by a work stoppage. The product wasn't worth all that much.
Because of that contract, the Astros were around 20th in total revenues. Market size doesn't matter.
The disparity was corrected last winter when Drayton signed a new deal that pays the Astros something between $20 million and $27 million per year. I would think that's one of the 10 highest in the game.
When the Astros left the Astrodome, their revenues were below $100 million. Now, they're way north of $100 million. Drayton won't say how much, and if that makes you think he's not telling the truth, go ahead.
These owners plead poverty, but decline to open their books. No one should believe them if they don't back up their statements with some evidence.
Drayton told me he'd open his books when the 2002 labor agreement was finished. Now he says he doesn't remember saying any such thing.
What did he do with the extra cash? He used it to pay down his debt (this is his version of what he did with it; don't shoot the messenger).
The bottom line is that he says the Astros revenues can support an $85-million payroll.
Do I believe him? To an extent. I don't think owning a baseball team is a great investment. Look at how many publicly held companies get out of the game about as quickly as they get in.
On the other hand, if owning the Astros is such a bad deal, Drayton should sell. He has no intention of doing that.
You mention a $100 million payroll. I believe only the Yankees, Mets and Red Sox had $100-million payrolls last year.
For more detailed information on franchise revenues, values, etc., check out the edition of Forbes Magazine that deals with the subject every year.
McLane said ''money is no object.'' Is he throwing Purpura under the bus?
No. He knows Tim Purpura could spend the money very quickly if he got the go-ahead. I think he's typically choosing his words carefully. He probably means he hasn't turned down one deal because of money.
I would imagine Tim hasn't brought him a deal that would raise the payroll $20 million. I would also guess that if Drayton did reject such a deal, he might use another reason.
''I just never liked that guy's haircut,'' he might say. ''It's not about the money.''
Had I been standing there when he spoke those words, I would have feared a lightning strike
Quote:
I'm a little tired of the argument that the Astros made it to the Series therefore they should stand pat with what they have. The truth is they were incredibly fortunate to win in the postseason and finally showed their true colors against the Chisox. Ond oh yeah, the team that actually won the championship doesn't seem to be resting on its laurels.
No one said they SHOULDN'T make a move. The bottom line is that this owner is going to hold the payroll at around $85 million. That money is already budgeted to the players in the fold. Therefore, there wasn't likely to be an impact acquisition.
The Astros have operated this way for awhile. Drayton McLane holds fast during the winter, then will spend to add a part during the summer.
This notion that they were lucky is absolutely silly. They've been to the playoffs six times in nine seasons. That's a run of success 27 other teams - the Braves and Yankees have been better - would love to have.
So while we can all sit around and moan about the things they haven't done - and I've done a fair amount of it myself - this is the way the Astros operate.
Yes, (the Astros) know exactly what they are doing. They continue to be successfull at pulling the wool over the eyes of Houston, making us ''believe'' they've done everything they can to field a champion, when all the while they are doing just enough to field a competitive team... The most telling fact is that we were shutout more times last year than in the previous five years combined. Can you find a national review anywhere in the media that believes the Astros have had a positive off-season? Go look at Rob Neyer, Diamond Mind, etc., and you will find that there are statistical trends that form the basis of critical opinion for serious sports discussion, and not blind fan faith.
You can check these numbers with Rob Neyer and the other numbers geeks: nine seasons, six playoff appearances. Ask Rob if that's a good ratio. Give the guy a few days because this stuff is really complicated.
What you've written is solid from a baseball standpoint. Except most off-season moves aren't about baseball. They're about money.
The Blue Jays and Mets had money to spend. They spent it and got better.
Other teams worked around the edge. Had the Astros kept last year's team together, the payroll would have hit $100 million in 2006. This owner - love him or hate him - isn't going to spend $100 million.
Can he afford to? Absolutely. Will he? No. At some point, the whole thing may collapse. Ensberg, Taveras and Lane may flop in '06. Bagwell may be done. And the Astros may finish 30 games out of first.
But in all these windy essays about what they should and shouldn't do, you act as if I'm arguing against adding Miguel Tejada, Josh Beckett, Paul Lo Duca, etc.
I'm not. I'm only saying Drayton McLane is going to have an $85-million payroll. That probably will be one of the 10 highest in baseball next season.
If you see that as a con game, if you believe he's not really serious about winning, you should stop watching. Otherwise, you're just torturing yourself and getting angry about something over which you have no control.
I don't think of myself as a shill for Drayton. But if he's going to run it like a business, he's going to run it like a business. My choice is to harp everyday that he should be more like that nice Mr. Steinbrenner. Or to accept that the Astros - like a lot of other teams - are dependent on player development providing a fresh flow of talent.
I thought Drayton completely screwed up the Astros last winter, and they won the National League pennant. He's deserves the benefit of the doubt.
Baggy was injured, but I think he will have a good season in 2006 and probably retire on his own terms with his dignity. Biggio was one of the top 5 NL second basemen last year. The day they hang 'em up will be a very sad one, not cause for celebration. Given a choice between such a "fan" and Bidge & Baggy, I'd say don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.
If they lose, we will stay away from the games 
and remind them of their stupidity. 
